Radio broadcasters and music labels are seeking to legally mandate FM radio reception as a feature in all consumer mobile devices in an effort to expand the market for radio.

A report by Nate Anderson of the Ars "Law & Disorder" blog notes that competing interests in radio and studio industry groups have sided on a proposal to force hardware makers to add FM radio chips to mobile phones and other consumser devices.

The National Association of Broadcasters and musicFirst (a lobbying group of which the RIAA is a member) have been at odds in a dispute about whether labels and artists should be paid performance right royalties when music is played on the radio.

Currently, only songwriters are paid performance royalties for music played by over the air radio stations, although satellite and Internet radio stations are required to pay performance fees to the artists and labels as well.

Negotiations between the two trade groups have found agreement on a plan that requires radio stations to pay new, limited performance rights fees to the studios annually, but that plan is tied to the ability of the two groups to pass laws forcing mobile device makers to add FM radio features to their devices.

Adding a mandate on FM radio chips would greatly expand the potential audience of broadcasters in an era where only one of Apple's iPod models (the latest Nano) supports FM radio playback, and none of its iPhone, iPod touch or iPad devices do. Apple sells around 70 percent of MP3 players, and has a prime position in mobile phones and tablet devices.

Apple hasn't commented on the plan, but the Consumer Electronics Association is strongly opposed to the idea."The back room scheme of the [National Association of Broadcasters] and RIAA to have Congress mandate broadcast radios in portable devices, including mobile phones, is the height of absurdity," CEA president Gary Shapiro said in the report, adding that such a move is "not in our national interest."

The Performance Rights Act currently before Congress is at the center of the controversy. "The performance royalty legislation voted out of the Senate Judiciary Committee does not include this onerous and backward-looking radio requirement," Shapiro said, indicating that the CEA wants the bill to continue without any FM radio requirements being mandated.

"Rather than adapt to the digital marketplace," Shapiro said, "NAB and RIAA act like buggy-whip industries that refuse to innovate and seek to impose penalties on those that do."

The RIAA-aligned musicFIRST said it "likes FM chips in cell phones, PDAs, etc. It gives consumers access to more music choices," while the NAB said in the report that it "would argue that having radio capability on cell phones and other mobile devices would be a great thing, particularly from a public safety perspective. There are few if any technologies that match the reliability of broadcast radio in terms of getting lifeline information to the masses."

If these idiots want to pay for every aspect involved in adding this to mobile devices, then sure. Otherwise, F- OFF!!!

I don't want it even if they do pay for all aspects of it.

What if apple has to make my battery smaller to fit it in and keep the device the same size. What other consequences would there be even if the price didn't change? Can they "pay" to eliminate these types of issues?

How about we let the market decide if they want that feature. The RIAA should develop an MP3 device with radio capabilities and put it out there. If it takes off due to that feature then it will be a must have and every one will follow their lead. Otherwise, F-OFF.

What a TOTAL JOKE! Radio is slowly dying, it may never go away, but the one to many model is changing from traditional airwaves to bits over IP. The only thing traditional radio needs to do is make sure all their content is also available now over the IP network.

Problem solved.

No need for government intervention -- that will just make matters worse, and more expensive. As nice as HD Radio is, it's too little too late -- use a micro computer (like iPhone) and stream everything from the device to the car -- who needs traditional radio or even satellite radio?! Just need a capable device and an IP and you are set.

What a TOTAL JOKE! Radio is slowly dying, it may never go away, but the one to many model is changing from traditional airwaves to bits over IP. The only thing traditional radio needs to do is make sure all their content is also available now over the IP network.

Problem solved.

No need for government intervention -- that will just make matters worse, and more expensive. As nice as HD Radio is, it's too little too late -- use a micro computer (like iPhone) and stream everything from the device to the car -- who needs traditional radio or even satellite radio?! Just need a capable device and an IP and you are set.

Disagree. Radio is being forced to evolve and adapt to hold its audience. Look at digital radio in Europe and Australia for evidence that the industry needs to evolve. Features like time shifting, pause and replay

What happened to laissez-faire capitalism? Really... what happened to the idea that anyone is allowed to produce a product without any restrictions and might allow it to sell. If someone copies your product and it works better, why then the onus is on you to make yours somehow better still. Where did this all go?

Hypocrites! corporations are all about the free market until the free market dumps them. Then its the goverment's job to bail them out. Is there any other country with so many welfare billionaire CEOs?

Disagree. Radio is being forced to evolve and adapt to hold its audience. Look at digital radio in Europe and Australia for evidence that the industry needs to evolve. Features like time shifting, pause and replay

Yeah, or maybe they could make the audio files available to download at the user's convenience!

That is called "podcasting" and it works great.

How about they come out with a decent product (good radio broadcasts) and then see if people want to buy it, rather than forcing the market to conform to their old and busted business models?

Gee, maybe the newspaper publishers will follow suit and get a law passed the requires all iPads be sold with a newspaper subscription. Hey Radio, evolve or die! I get radio on my iPhone already - just about every NPR station steams to the Public Radio app. Just as iTunes has a "Radio" source, the iPod and iPhone could very easily have the same option to stream Internet radio feeds. No chips required.

Let's see, first you had to listen to radio shows with no picture. Then you had to go to the movie theater to watch the news, shows (serials), and movies on a big screen. Then you could watch live shows on small b&w screen at home. Then in color, then recorded, then via a wire to your house, then the Internet and now over 3G. Seems that movies and TV managed to evolved pretty nicely - even if it was with reluctance at times. Come on radio, you can figure this out.

If the radio hadn't turned into such a crapfest, maybe they wouldn't have this problem. It's the same argument as always... they pick a bad song and play it to death. Some stations pick an ok song then play it way out. Guess what? People don't like it so your industry is going downhill.

Maybe Clearchannel should make some different playlists instead of RIAA trying to push this on us. If they mandate some sort of emergency frequency app, maybe that'd make a little sense, but this is trying to mandate payola. The radio industry has lost its good will, and its nobody's fault but their own.

Force radio on all mobile devices?!?! WHY??? So the RIAA can serve up fresh lawsuits against people who inevitably find a way to time shift the broadcasts (aka radio-tivo)?

FU RIAA you are NOT welcome to impose your crazy ass delusional ideas on the products I buy.

Hmmm this actually has me wanting to rip the radio out of my car and start demanding all receiver makers to STOP making AM FM tuners a standard accessory... I'm slightly less serious about the car than I am the receiver but only slightly...

How do we speak up to let the RIAA, NAB and our politicians know that we don't what this?

I'm calling my congressman as well as both my state senators.

The fact is this is just a way to squeeze the last remaining dimes it can from the radio stations that play music.

Going by the article currently when a station plays a song the 'singer' band whatever gets a fee (a penny?). Well the studios want some cash too now and some law seems to be in the works to make this happen but this is not based on a song but just on the total number of 'possible' listeners ... A formula is likely based on the power of the broadcast which translates into a specific area then that area is looked at and a rough number of cars can be established as well as a less accurate number of in home radio receivers. Then that number is some how used to come up with a yearly fee that's to be paid to each label...

NOW imagine if suddenly every cell phone, iPod,psp, iPad etc were to suddenly get lumped onto those car radios and in house stereos... You'd be talking an much larger number maybe by a factor of 5 6 7 or more times the number they were using. Bang the radio stations fees go WAY up...

They are right that radio is a good thing to have around. That doesn't mean it should be mandated as a feature. That's just crazy.

Well, I'm gonna be hated here, so be nice. But from a public safety information point, you know after an earth quake or something wipes out local cell towers/cable etc, all that is left, maybe, is over the the air tv and radio. After Katrina, make shift radio stations were built to cover some areas so they had local news(because clearquest etc is just a tape feed to a lot of areas) Just my opinion.

As for music, how did radio royalties begin?
Did Bing Crosby etc get them back in the day, or is this by law? IMO over open air, I'm for no royalties.

Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster by your side, kid.

Force radio on all mobile devices?!?! WHY??? So the RIAA can serve up fresh lawsuits against people who inevitably find a way to time shift the broadcasts (aka radio-tivo)?

FU RIAA you are NOT welcome to impose your crazy ass delusional ideas on the products I buy.

Hmmm this actually has me wanting to rip the radio out of my car and start demanding all receiver makers to STOP making AM FM tuners a standard accessory... I'm slightly less serious about the car than I am the receiver but only slightly...

Here's a thought---maybe all radios should be required to be enabled to be used as mobile communicating devices---iPhone in my car radio--anyone????

無心The idea of wilderness needs no defense, it only needs defenders., Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit__Edward Abbey